Various separation systems have been developed over the years in the launch vehicle industry to separate payload fairings from the launch vehicle, to thereby uncover any spacecraft contained therein for deployment. In this regard, both point separation devices and linear separation systems have been utilized over the years to separate payload fairings from the launch vehicle.
One major design consideration for not only launch vehicle separation system, but also for other separation systems is to provide a system which will not result in a collision of the separated structure with the remaining structure. For example, in the launch vehicle industry, it is important that separation system clear the payload fairing structures away from the launch vehicle to avoid any collision therebetween. However, designing such separation systems to avoid collisions have become increasingly difficult in instances where large, heavy structures are utilized.